Tora Tora’s distinctive take on heavy metal could have only come out of Memphis. By combining hard-rocking riffs with their city’s signature bluesy swagger, the band landed a trio of hits in the late ‘80s with “Walkin’ Shoes,” “Guilty,” and “Dancing with a Gypsy,” the last of which was on the soundtrack for the film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Unfortunately, like many hard rock bands of the era, their success was cut short by the arrival of grunge and Tora Tora disbanded in 1994. In 2008, the band reformed with its original line-up for a series of successful live shows, which eventually led to the release of their long-awaited third album Revolution Day, which had been shelved for decades. In 2019, the band released their first collection of all-new material in 25 years, the aptly named Bastards of Beale.
